OVERALL
ALTERNATIVES
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Scored using Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0
Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0
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Products in this category are scored under Frontum Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0: technical specifications plus authentic consumer ratings, with 0% commercial bias.
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Marshall Kilburn Steel Review | 130 Data compared

Avg. price:~£240Audio output power:25.00 WBattery life:20 hoursIP rating:?Bluetooth version:4.0Weight:3000 g

Marshall Kilburn Steel Review: Compare 130 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Portable Speakers category and whether it is worth buying.

6.5/10

Overall score

Score
6.5/ 10
✕
What it is
An overall evaluation of products in the Portable Speakers category, based on technical analysis and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference for identifying the best products in the Portable Speakers category.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 66% of models
Score components

80%

6.5

Technical score

20%

?

User score

â–¼Worse than 66% of portable speakers
7.3

Value for money

Value for money
7.3/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the overall score of products in the Portable Speakers category with their prices.
When it matters
When you are comparing products in the Portable Speakers category and want a good balance between quality and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 79% of models
Score components

70%

6.5

Overall score

30%

9.3

Price

â–¼Worse than 79%
6.5

Technical score

Technical score
6.5/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Portable Speakers category across these key areas: Audio, Connectivity, Battery, Durability, Controls, Design, Smart features.
When it matters
When you want to compare products in the Portable Speakers category by technical performance, specifications, and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 57% of models
Score components

32%

6.2

Audio

20%

7.5

Battery

18%

7.7

Durability

16%

5.2

Connectivity

8%

5.0

Controls

3%

6.6

Design

3%

4.0

Smart features

â–¼Worse than 57%
?

User score

User score
8.0/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews with the total review volume for products in the Portable Speakers category.
When it matters
When you want to know how products in the Portable Speakers category perform in everyday use and how reliable owners find them over time.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 71% of models
Score components

70%

?

User ratings

30%

?

Number of reviews

  • No image
No image
Where to buy
    N/A~ £240
Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
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Technical Specifications of portable speaker Marshall Kilburn Steel

Technical score
Technical score
6.5/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Portable Speakers category across these key areas: Audio, Connectivity, Battery, Durability, Controls, Design, Smart features.
When it matters
When you want to compare products in the Portable Speakers category by technical performance, specifications, and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 57% of models
Score components:

32%

6.2

Audio

20%

7.5

Battery

18%

7.7

Durability

16%

5.2

Connectivity

8%

5.0

Controls

3%

6.6

Design

3%

4.0

Smart features

6.5
User score
User score
8.0/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews with the total review volume for products in the Portable Speakers category.
When it matters
When you want to know how products in the Portable Speakers category perform in everyday use and how reliable owners find them over time.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 71% of models
Score components

70%

?

User ratings

30%

?

Number of reviews

?
Popularity
Popularity
1.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by products in the Portable Speakers category.
When it matters
When you prefer products in the Portable Speakers category that have been chosen and reviewed by many other buyers.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 99% of models
Popularity:
Marshall Kilburn Steel has a popularity score of 1 point, which is lower than 59.2% of products in this category.
1.0
Value for money
Value for money
7.3/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the overall score of products in the Portable Speakers category with their prices.
When it matters
When you are comparing products in the Portable Speakers category and want a good balance between quality and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 79% of models
Score components:

70%

6.5

Overall score

30%

9.3

Price

7.3
Audio output power
25 W
Market range: <4 W – >100 W
This portable speaker has an audio output power of 25 W which is higher than that of 59.6% of portable speakers and equal to that of 2% of portable speakers.
Driver unit size
?
Number of drivers
3
Market range: <0 – >5
This portable speaker has 3 drivers, which is more than 70.1% of portable speakers and equal to the number in 11.5% of portable speakers.
Frequency response tolerance
6 dB
Market range: <3 dB – >6 dB
This portable speaker has a frequency response tolerance of 6 dB which is higher than that of 81.7% of portable speakers and equal to that of 16.7% of portable speakers.
Lowest frequency
62 Hz
Market range: <20 Hz – >120 Hz
This portable speaker has a lowest frequency of 62 Hz which is higher than that of 56.5% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.6% of portable speakers.
Show more
Bluetooth connectivity
yes
This portable speaker supports Bluetooth audio. 5.4% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Bluetooth version
4
Market range: <3 – >5.3
This portable speaker supports Bluetooth version 4 which is older than that of 76.7% of portable speakers and equal to that of 8.7% of portable speakers.
Maximum Bluetooth range
10 m
Market range: <10 m – >30 m
This portable speaker has a maximum Bluetooth range of 10 m which is longer than that of 4.3% of portable speakers and equal to that of 70.2% of portable speakers.
Bluetooth profiles supported
?
Bluetooth LE Audio
no
This portable speaker does not support Bluetooth LE Audio. 2.5% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more
Battery life
20 hours
Market range: <6 hours – >24 hours
This portable speaker has a battery life of 20 hours which is longer than that of 80.2% of portable speakers and equal to that of 7.3% of portable speakers.
Battery capacity
2,200 mAh
Market range: <900 mAh – >6.6k mAh
This portable speaker has a battery capacity of 2,200 mAh which is smaller than that of 56.6% of portable speakers and equal to that of 7.2% of portable speakers.
Charging time
4 hours
Market range: <2 hours – >5 hours
This portable speaker has a charging time of 4 hours which is longer than that of 67% of portable speakers and equal to that of 19.3% of portable speakers.
Maximum charging input power
?
Built-in rechargeable battery
yes
This portable speaker has a built-in rechargeable battery. 18.7% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more
IP rating
?
Water resistance
?
Dust resistance
?
Waterproof depth rating
?
Drop resistance
yes
This portable speaker resists accidental impacts. 67.3% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more
On-device controls placement
top
Touchscreen
?
Smartphone app control
no
This portable speaker does not support smartphone app control. 54% of portable speakers offer this feature.
No compatible mobile app for speaker control.
Remote control
?
Fast pairing
no
This portable speaker does not support fast pairing. 22.5% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more
Weight
3,000 g
Market range: <200 g – >5.6k g
This portable speaker weighs 3,000 g which is heavier than that of 79.9% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.8% of portable speakers.
Height
14 cm
Market range: <5.79 cm – >29 cm
This portable speaker has a height of 14 cm which is taller than that of 55.3% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.9% of portable speakers.
Width
26 cm
Market range: <7.6 cm – >37 cm
This portable speaker has a width of 26 cm which is wider than that of 72% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.8% of portable speakers.
Depth
14 cm
Market range: <4.3 cm – >19.97 cm
This portable speaker has a depth of 14 cm which is deeper than that of 75.5% of portable speakers and equal to that of 1.4% of portable speakers.
Carry options
strap/handle
Show more
Companion app name
Marshall Bluetooth
Firmware updates
no
This portable speaker does not support firmware updates. 47.2% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Firmware update method
OTA
Voice assistant support
no
This portable speaker does not support voice assistants. 26.5% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Spotify Connect
no
This portable speaker does not support Spotify Connect. 10.8% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more

Marshall Kilburn Steel vs the average portable speaker

246810TotalAudioConnectivityBatteryDurabilityControlsDesignSmart features
  • 8 hours longer battery life
    This portable speaker has a longer battery life than the average portable speaker (20 hours vs 12 hours).
    20 hours vs 12 hours
  • Includes a subwoofer
    This portable speaker includes a subwoofer, while the average portable speaker does not include a subwoofer.
    Has an integrated active subwoofer driver.
  • Has built-in stereo speakers
    This portable speaker has built-in stereo speakers, while the average portable speaker does not have built-in stereo speakers.
    Provides true stereo output within the unit.
  • Has an equalizer
    This portable speaker has an equalizer, while the average portable speaker does not have an equalizer.
    Offers user-selectable EQ, tone adjustment, or sound presets.
  • Resists accidental impacts
    This portable speaker resists accidental impacts, while the average portable speaker lacks an impact-resistance rating.
  • Supports aptX
    This portable speaker supports aptX, while the average portable speaker does not support aptX.
  • 1 more speaker drivers
    This portable speaker has more speaker drivers than the average portable speaker (3 vs 2).
    3 vs 2
  • Has a removable battery
    This portable speaker has a removable battery, while the average portable speaker does not have a removable battery.
  • Includes a subwoofer
    This portable speaker includes a subwoofer, while the average portable speaker does not include a subwoofer.
    Has an integrated active subwoofer driver.
  • Has built-in stereo speakers
    This portable speaker has built-in stereo speakers, while the average portable speaker does not have built-in stereo speakers.
    Provides true stereo output within the unit.
  • 1 more speaker drivers
    This portable speaker has more speaker drivers than the average portable speaker (3 vs 2).
    3 vs 2
  • 5 W more audio output power
    This portable speaker has more audio output power than the average portable speaker (25 W vs 20 W).
    25 W vs 20 W
  • Supports aptX
    This portable speaker supports aptX, while the average portable speaker does not support aptX.
  • 8 hours longer battery life
    This portable speaker has a longer battery life than the average portable speaker (20 hours vs 12 hours).
    20 hours vs 12 hours
  • Has a removable battery
    This portable speaker has a removable battery, while the average portable speaker does not have a removable battery.
  • Includes a power adapter
    This portable speaker includes a power adapter, while the average portable speaker does not include a power adapter.
  • Resists accidental impacts
    This portable speaker resists accidental impacts, while the average portable speaker lacks an impact-resistance rating.
  • Has an equalizer
    This portable speaker has an equalizer, while the average portable speaker does not have an equalizer.
    Offers user-selectable EQ, tone adjustment, or sound presets.
  • 3 dB wider frequency-response tolerance
    This portable speaker has a wider frequency-response tolerance than the average portable speaker (6 dB vs 3 dB).
    6 dB vs 3 dB
  • 1 fewer microphones
    This portable speaker has fewer microphones than the average portable speaker (0 vs 1).
    0 vs 1
  • Does not support smartphone app control
    This portable speaker does not support smartphone app control, while the average portable speaker supports smartphone app control.
    No compatible mobile app for speaker control.
  • 1 hours longer charging time
    This portable speaker has a longer charging time than the average portable speaker (4 hours vs 3 hours).
    4 hours vs 3 hours
  • 1 Bluetooth levels older
    This portable speaker has an older Bluetooth version than the average portable speaker (4 vs 5).
    4 vs 5
  • Does not support stereo pairing
    This portable speaker does not support stereo pairing, while the average portable speaker supports stereo pairing.
  • Does not support True Wireless Stereo
    This portable speaker does not support True Wireless Stereo, while the average portable speaker supports True Wireless Stereo.
  • 2,200 g heavier
    This portable speaker is heavier than the average portable speaker (3,000 g vs 800 g).
    3,000 g vs 800 g
  • 4.21x less popular
    Marshall Kilburn Steel is less popular than the average portable speaker (1 vs 4.21).
    1 vs 4.21
  • 2.67x more expensive
    Marshall Kilburn Steel is more expensive than the average portable speaker (£240 vs £90).
    £240 vs £90
  • 3.4% worse value for money
    Marshall Kilburn Steel offers worse value for money than the average portable speaker (7.3 vs 7.5).
    7.3 vs 7.55
  • 3 dB wider frequency-response tolerance
    This portable speaker has a wider frequency-response tolerance than the average portable speaker (6 dB vs 3 dB).
    6 dB vs 3 dB
  • 1 fewer microphones
    This portable speaker has fewer microphones than the average portable speaker (0 vs 1).
    0 vs 1
  • 1 dB SPL lower maximum sound pressure
    This portable speaker has a lower maximum sound pressure level than the average portable speaker (91 dB SPL vs 92 dB SPL).
    91 dB SPL vs 92 dB SPL
  • 2 Hz less deep bass extension
    This portable speaker has less deep bass extension than the average portable speaker (62 Hz vs 60 Hz).
    62 Hz vs 60 Hz
  • 1 Bluetooth levels older
    This portable speaker has an older Bluetooth version than the average portable speaker (4 vs 5).
    4 vs 5
  • 1 fewer USB ports
    This portable speaker has fewer USB ports than the average portable speaker (0 vs 1).
    0 vs 1
  • 1 hours longer charging time
    This portable speaker has a longer charging time than the average portable speaker (4 hours vs 3 hours).
    4 hours vs 3 hours
  • 400 mAh less battery capacity
    This portable speaker has a smaller battery capacity than the average portable speaker (2,200 mAh vs 2,600 mAh).
    2,200 mAh vs 2,600 mAh
  • Does not support smartphone app control
    This portable speaker does not support smartphone app control, while the average portable speaker supports smartphone app control.
    No compatible mobile app for speaker control.
  • Does not support stereo pairing
    This portable speaker does not support stereo pairing, while the average portable speaker supports stereo pairing.
  • Does not support True Wireless Stereo
    This portable speaker does not support True Wireless Stereo, while the average portable speaker supports True Wireless Stereo.
  • 2,200 g heavier
    This portable speaker is heavier than the average portable speaker (3,000 g vs 800 g).
    3,000 g vs 800 g
  • 5.7 cm deeper
    This portable speaker is deeper than the average portable speaker (14 cm vs 8.3 cm).
    14 cm vs 8.3 cm
  • 7.9 cm wider
    This portable speaker is wider than the average portable speaker (26 cm vs 18.1 cm).
    26 cm vs 18.1 cm
  • 3 older
    This portable speaker was released earlier than the average portable speaker (2016 vs 2019).
    2016 vs 2019

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

Expert reviews

In-depth analysis and verdict from leading tech publications

U
uk.pcmag.com
31/08/2015
Summary of the review
Marshall Kilburn Review - PCMag UK
T
techhive.com
23/11/2016
Summary of the review
Marshall Kilburn Bluetooth speaker review: Vintage style, retro sound
T
techradar.com
03/07/2018
Summary of the review
Marshall Kilburn review | TechRadar
E
expertreviews.co.uk
14/10/2019
Summary of the review
Marshall Kilburn review: The kickass retro speaker that turns the volume up to 10
D
delamar.de
Keine Angabe
Summary of the review
Marshall Kilburn Review: High-End Portable Bluetooth Speaker
(Translated)Show original
A
avguide.ch
28/08/2017
Summary of the review
Marshall Kilburn Review: The Golden Ratio
(Translated)Show original
C
chip.de
16/06/2017
Summary of the review
Marshall Kilburn Review: A Rock Tube for the Road
(Translated)Show original
2
20minutes.fr
02/01/2018
Summary of the review
Roberts Revival RD70 Product Viewer: We listened to THE radio of the Queen of England (Marshall Kilburn Steel comparison)
(Translated)Show original
C
commeuncamion.com
25/12/2017
Summary of the review
Marshall Kilburn Speaker: Review & Opinion
(Translated)Show original
E
enceintesbluetooth.fr
01/10/2015
Summary of the review
Marshall Kilburn | REVIEW | Vintage look and modern sound!
(Translated)Show original
P
perfectacoustic.es
07/12/2020
Summary of the review
Marshall Kilburn II Bluetooth Speaker Review
(Translated)Show original
I
ilgiradischi.net
22/12/2020
Summary of the review
Marshall Kilburn: 70-Watt Portable Bluetooth Speaker
(Translated)Show original
X
xn--audiodiqualit-1db.com
22/12/2020
Summary of the review
Marshall Kilburn Review: 70W Marshall Bluetooth Speaker!
(Translated)Show original

Third-party reviews

What customers like about Marshall Kilburn Steel

  • Exceptional sound quality with clear midrange, crisp treble, and deep, powerful bass response.
  • Gorgeous, retro amplifier-inspired aesthetic featuring premium materials, physical analogue control dials, and the iconic Marshall script logo.
  • Outstanding battery life, providing up to 20 hours of continuous wireless playback on a single charge.
  • Excellent build quality with a highly durable, rugged construction that feels sturdy and robust.
  • Highly functional physical control knobs that allow users to directly customize bass and treble settings on the device.
  • Stable and seamless Bluetooth connectivity paired with an integrated guitar-strap-style handle for easier room-to-room transport.

What customers don't like about Marshall Kilburn Steel

  • Noticeably heavy and bulky compared to most standard portable Bluetooth speakers, weighing just under 7 lbs (approx. 3 kg).
  • Carries a premium price tag, making it more expensive than many competitors in the portable speaker category.
  • Lacks modern smartphone companion features such as a built-in speakerphone microphone or voice assistant integration.
  • Lacks any formal water or dust resistance ratings on the original model, making it less suitable for poolside or beach use.
  • Sub-bass frequencies can feel slightly weak or fainted for electronic and heavy hip-hop genres without manually adjusting an equalizer.

Verdict

The Marshall Kilburn Steel is a vintage guitar amplifier-styled portable Bluetooth 4.0 speaker featuring a rear-ported bass reflex cabinet, a 4-inch woofer, and dual 3/4-inch dome tweeters driven by 40 watts of Class D amplification (2x5W + 1x15W). Delivering a frequency range of 62 Hz to 20,000 Hz, its main pros include rich audio performance with adjustable analogue bass and treble knobs, a robust built-in rechargeable battery providing up to 20 hours of playtime at 50% volume, and a stylish, guitar-inspired carrying strap. However, its main cons include a hefty weight of 3 kg that limits true on-the-go portability, a total lack of water resistance, no USB charging ports to power external devices, and the absence of aptX support or a companion app for stereo pairing.

Compare Marshall Kilburn Steel with other products in the Portable Speakers category

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